# BAE Systems | 3D Animated Video Source: https://www.dragonfly.co.uk/case-studies/bae-systems/ Published: 2022-09-02 Updated: 2026-09-12 > Real ocean footage was layered together with an animated ship for BAE Systems, to create a 3D animated video which looked photorealistic and cinematic. ## Bae Systems: Case Study VIDEO **OBJECTIVE** The Australian Navy was renewing its fleet of Frigate warships, so BAE Systems, a British defence giant came to Dragonfly, wanting a video that would sit central to a 20 billion pound bid. To convince the Australian government that BAE’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship was the right solution for them. [CORPORATE VIDEOS](https://www.dragonfly.co.uk/video-services/corporate-video-production/) THIS VIDEO WON A **$20 BILLION** CONTRACT WITH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT Introduction MOVIE GRADE VISUAL EFFECTS The problem we faced was that the ship hadn’t been built, so we couldn’t just go out and film it, we needed to animate it. We required movie grade visual effects, completely avoiding the plastic-y look you can sometimes get with 3D animation. We took real footage of the ocean and composited our vessel into the shot. This was Hollywood grade special effects. The ship is fast, so we wanted to show it at flank-speed on a choppy sea. DEVELOPING **THE CONCEPT** Our client wanted to sell defence and security, not to present their fleet of warships as weapons. Dragonfly identified positive benefits for the Australian Government, such as humanitarian missions, job creation, benefits to the economy and the deterrent. It was necessary to animate the warship, as it was logistically impossible to capture real footage of the Type 26 vessel at sea. 3d Animation enabled our team to really showcase the ships capabilities. [PRODUCTION PROCESS](https://www.dragonfly.co.uk/video-production-agency/production-process/) The Concept **WIREFRAME** modelling CLIENT REQUIREMENTS ​The wireframe was layered into real world live action footage. This technique resulted in footage that looked photorealistic and cinematic. FROM WIREFRAME TO **cinematic footage** Our animators crafted very dramatic scenes of the Type 26 operating at sea. Slide the tool below to see the wireframe come to life. WIREFRAME MOVIE GRADE SOUND EFFECTS It doesn’t get much more challenging than creating life like and realistic sounds of a huge vessel on the open ocean, along with helicopters. Dragonfly’s foley artist was given the challenge to create each sound individually and then mix these into a finished soundtrack which an audience wouldn’t be able to differentiate from real life. & WATCH OUR **CEO FOUNDER** Charlie Southall Dragonfly director, Charlie, discusses the BAE Systems project – sharing some real insight on the production process. Charlie Southall A CLOSE ATTENTION TO **DETAIL** The ship was equipped with a mission bay helicopter landing pad, so it was important to show its relationship with military helicopters. We wanted the video to be factually correct, so our team animated the exact helicopter, the NH-90, that the Australian armed forces use, focussing on every detail, right down to the little kangaroo emblem painted on the side. A lot of thought went into every element; the editing style, the choice of music, even designing the perfect backdrop as the ship and the helicopter go into the sunset, portraying a job well done. Mission complete.​ The ship was equipped with a mission bay helicopter landing pad, so it was important to show its relationship with military helicopters. We wanted the video to be factually correct, so our team animated the exact helicopter, the NH-90, that the Australian armed forces use, focussing on every detail, right down to the little kangaroo emblem painted on the side. A lot of thought went into every element; the editing style, the choice of music, even designing the perfect backdrop as the ship and the helicopter go into the sunset, portraying a job well done. Mission complete.​ FINAL VIDEO Take a look at the finished video below. The 3d Animation took our team four months to produce and involved a team of six. The resulting video footage exceeded expectation and carries real impact. FINAL VIDEO **“** Response “Dragonfly assisted us with our C-5000 bid, a proposal targeted to the Australian government. The video which Dragonfly created for us showcased our type 26 Frigate, leading to a successful bid and a winning pitch!”**”** JAMIE MORSE ### BAE SYSTEMS ARTICLES [READ MORE RECENT NEWS >](https://www.dragonfly.co.uk/knowledge-base/) Item DEFENCE NEWS Australia officially announces $26B contract. Acquiring nine high-end warfare frigates. [Read The Article](https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/06/29/australia-officially-announces-26b-frigate-contract-here-are-the-build-details/) Item BBC News BAE wins multi-billion pound Australian warship contract, beating Italian and Spanish rivals. [Read The Article](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44649959) Item Australian Government BAE Systems Australia Ltd, to build the Hunter class frigates under Project SEA 5000. [Read The Article](https://www.defence.gov.au/project/hunter-class-frigate) THESE BRANDS HAVE TRUSTED OUR #### [3d production services](https://www.dragonfly.co.uk/video-services/animated-video-production/3d-production/) Client Click the edit button to add your testimonial. Client Click the edit button to add your testimonial. Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client